Coronavirus: Abortion services at risk of collapse with women denied procedures after government U-turn

Abortion services are at risk of collapse during the coronavirus crisis, with women already being denied terminations after a government U-turn on allowing home procedures was branded “cruel and reckless”.

The UK’s leading abortion provider was forced to close a quarter of its clinics on Monday because of staff having to self-isolate after coming down with coronavirus symptoms or needing to protect vulnerable loved ones.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides healthcare for 100,000 women every year, warned abortion services were “buckling” under the pressure of the coronavirus chaos, and some women had been unable to access abortions. More NHS-funded abortion services are expected to shut their doors today.

Women with severe health issues who have been urged to self-isolate by medical professionals say they are being forced to pick between endangering their health by leaving the house and carrying on with a potentially dangerous unwanted pregnancy, which may also put their health at risk.

On Monday, the Department of Health had announced abortion pills could be prescribed remotely during the pandemic, so women could take them in their own homes to help curb the spread of the virus.

But on Tuesday, MPs and abortion services were furious when the government performed a dramatic U-turn and revoked the policy, claiming it had been “published in error” and no changes would be made to rules around abortions.

British Pregnancy Advisory Service warned at least 44,000 women will be forced to unnecessarily leave their homes to access abortion services in the next 13 weeks, with clinic closures forcing them to make trips across the UK.

The service said such journeys, which directly contravene Boris Johnson’s guidelines to stay at home, could lead to women potentially exposing themselves to coronavirus in crowded NHS waiting rooms where it is impossible to obey social-distancing rules.

“I’m a high-risk individual due to my previous medical history and asthma,” one woman said. “This has left me in a dire situation, and when the temporary measures came about [to enable telemedicine for abortion] I definitely saw light at the end of the tunnel. Without provision of measures like this, I will either risk myself to Covid-19 while attempting to make my way to an appointment, have to resort to illegal practices outside of the healthcare system or keep the pregnancy for longer, which is harmful both to me and the child as it grows and develops.”

Another woman said: “My daughter is at risk of life-threatening complications from this virus. We have been advised for some time to practise social distancing to minimise risk. It is unfair to be put in this type of position. Given the severity of the situation and the current health advice, there must be some type of provision for accessing the treatment without the need to physically attend the clinic.”

A third woman, who lives with her parents, said a secret home abortion was the only option available to her during the coronavirus crisis as they would “disown” her and potentially kick her out the house if they found out she was pregnant.

“They may even harm me and I have so much ahead of me,” she added. “I cannot afford to have a child right now at such a young age with no financial help as the person whom I conceived the child with is no longer in my life. I beg you to please help me – this is my only option.”

Dr Jonathan Lord, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “I simply cannot understand why the government is behaving in such a cruel and reckless manner towards women’s health. To force women to have to come out of self-isolation, mix with others in waiting rooms – and in many NHS waiting areas, distancing is impossible – and potentially infect others and NHS staff is quite extraordinarily irresponsible.

“There are widespread reports across the NHS of women being unable to access services and being denied care, leaving them extremely distressed. Many are turning in desperation to internet providers, which means they will be denied the standards they ought to expect, including an expert assessment of safeguarding.

“I am really concerned that having accepted the advice of clinical experts in issuing the emergency regulations on Monday, and then reversing them with no explanation or reasoning, that the government has moved from acting on science and evidence to reacting to extreme pressure groups who have an anti-woman agenda.”

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, noted telemedicine for abortion, the government measure recently announced but then withdrawn, is a “safe and simple measure” which all the professional healthcare bodies representing women’s health are pushing for.

She added: “Services are already buckling and at risk of collapse. Women are not getting the care they need. It is absurd, it is reckless and it is easily fixed.”

The Independent has asked the Department of Health to comment.